Exclusive Interview: Writer-Director Yara Estrada Lowe Brings Us Behind the Scenes of ‘Demise’

Yara Estrada Lowe, a writer-director-actress-producer, stands out as one of the industry’s most thrilling and promising filmmakers. Her unwavering passion for both on-screen and behind-the-scenes endeavors ignited at an early age and continues to drive her creative journey.

This year, she makes her directorial debut with her erotic-thriller, Demise. The story centers around Celine (Liz Fenning), a loving wife to Caleb (Carlo Mendez). Their happy marriage is turned upside down when Celine receives devastating news that she is unable to bear children. Just as she thought things couldn’t get worse, she is hit with the news that not only is Caleb having an affair, but his mistress Fiona (Crystal Hernandez) is pregnant with his child. When Caleb is confronted, he is remorseful and regrets his actions. Even so, now that a baby is Caleb’s priority, he chooses to leave Celine for Fiona. This abrupt ending to their marriage causes Celine to spiral down a twisted path of obsession and revenge.

Pop Culturalist had the privilege of speaking with Yara about Demise, delving into her process of crafting the film’s intricate twists and turns, her efforts in opening doors for her community, and much more.

PC: There are so many twists and turns in this film, which you extensively wrote for three months. What was the starting point? What ultimately inspired Demise?
Yara: I’ve always been a fan of ’90s thrillers like Fatal Attraction, Sleeping with the Enemy, and those types of films. It was the summer of 2020, and I was ready to write something that I was accustomed to, such as a lighter rom-com or something of that nature. Everyone was feeling a certain way that year, but I felt the need to write something a little darker.

So it began with this story about a husband, a wife, and an affair. Then, gradually, all these images came to my mind, and I thought it would be too boring to have a story solely about an affair. Where could we go after act one? Eventually, I started inserting all these different plots and twists, and Demise was born.

PC: Audiences won’t be able to guess what’s going to happen. You got your start in front of the camera and on stage. How helpful was having that prior experience as an actress as you collaborated with your cast? Is there a different language that’s formed because you know how vulnerable the craft is?
Yara: Absolutely. When you’re in front of the camera, you can’t see yourself. You’re just trying to do your character justice, and the communication is there as far as the execution of the performance in that specific scene. Having studied acting and worked with a lot of coaches in this industry, it’s definitely helped my directing because there is a lingo in the way that we communicate. I can say one sentence, and they’ll get it. I’m so glad I had that experience acting.

PC: You filmed this during the pandemic, and all of your auditions were done on Zoom. Was there a moment on set or during the rehearsal process when you realized the cast had the chemistry needed to bring this love triangle to life?
Yara: I’m so grateful that we had the time to rehearse before we shot. I got together with Crystal, Liz, and Carlo, and we spent some time on the harder scenes. It was then that I knew they all had the chemistry needed for the storylines. I was so happy about that. They all got along so well, and that’s a blessing because sometimes it doesn’t work out that way.

PC: Without giving any spoilers, there’s such a commitment that you ask from your cast. As the writer-director, how did you create the space for your ensemble to play, and how different was it to foster that environment when each character is on a very different journey?
Yara: Yeah, I had a lot of discussions beforehand with each of the actors on Zoom. We just dove in and spoke in detail about the journey of each character and what we wanted to show because there are so many aspects of these characters that are dynamic. It was important that we did the characters justice, and the cast was just brilliant. So it wasn’t hard at all because they did all that prep work.

PC: Not only does this film have universal appeal, but it’s also a celebration of diversity in front of and behind the camera. How do you hope this project will continue to open doors for your community?
Yara: I hope it opens doors where Latinos are seen as just any other Americans, except we’re Latino. We want to do mainstream movies. We don’t want to be cornered into cultural-style movies only or the typical things that you normally see. Demise is different in that way because it reflects my walk of life, being born and raised in California, and I never put myself in a box. Yes, it has Latino characters because that’s part of who I am and what I like to see. It’s really about greenlighting these scripts. That’s where it starts.

PC: You also had a hand in the editing process, and it’s really in that stage of the filmmaking process where things start to take shape. Was there a scene that surprised you in the edit?
Yara: It was crazy. The whole editing process took nine whole months. What really surprised me was the challenge of putting music into the scenes. That was a challenge because it can go so many different ways. But I was really happy with the different aesthetics that we had in mind for the shot list and the different shots that we had. I was happy with how it all came out.

PC: This is also your directorial debut. Congratulations, by the way. What was the most surprising part about this overall experience? What was the biggest takeaway that you’ll bring to future projects?
Yara: The editing process was the most surprising part. It takes a lot of time and patience. I definitely learned that the whole process can’t be rushed, and I would never want to rush it because film is forever. You only have this one shot to do it. If you rush through it, then you might have regrets later. But I don’t have any regrets because we took all the time we needed, and we also had an amazing editor.

Besides that, I definitely would love to always be a part of the music process. I didn’t know that I would love it that much. I didn’t know that going into it, it would take a long time to piece together the style and the different types of music that you see in Demise. They’re all instrumental. They all sound like scores, but there are actually 30 licensed musical songs in there. They sound like scores because they’re all instrumental. But I would always want to be part of this process now because I feel like it’s part of the storytelling.

PC: The ending hints that there’s the possibility for more story to be told. Have you started writing a sequel?
Yara: I do have a treatment, so I just have to actually start writing it. But I have a lot of plans for part two.

To keep up with Yara, follow her on Instagram. Watch Demise wherever you stream movies.

Photo Credit: Myron McClure